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Local Donations
Despite rumors to the contrary, our Tent City is still open, with over 100 residents as of October 31st, 2013. With the winter fast approaching, we are very much in need of donations... Most Tent City residents had prepared to use wood-burning stoves to stay warm this winter. On October 20th came the shocking announcement that anyone using a wood-burning stove or a fire to keep warm will be fined or arrested! We now desperately need more propane heaters and propane! If you are stopping by to drop something off, you can call Minister Steve Brigham at 732-364-0340 a few minutes in advance, and we'll come to the entrance to help carry the cargo. This page lists some ideas for supporters of Tent City - what you can bring during your next visit. We are of course very grateful for any kind of help you can offer us... Preparing for Winter... We are desperately trying to help everybody prepare for the freezing weather, as our population is at record high this year while donations are lower than before. Many of our residents were led to believe that government will provide them housing "soon", starting back in May. And a lot of people prepared for winter with firewood for wood-burning stoves - which are what we've used in years prior, but which are now forbidden... We desperately need: *Propane Heaters / Stoves *Zero-Rated Sleeping Bags, Warm Blankets, "Twin" Mattresses, Pillows *Warm Ski Jackets, Hats, "Wicking" Socks, Gloves, Thermal Underwear *Tents, Cots, 20'+ tarps for water-proof tent covers Perpetual Needs Power and Light Tent City is "off the grid". We use a propane for heat (now that wood-burning stoves have been forbidden by the Township), as well as cooking, hot water, and sometimes light. We also use gasoline-powered electric generators to power the shower water-pump, electrical chargers for cell phones, etc etc. We use propane for heat, cooking, hot water (shower & laundry), and light. We currently need: *Filled Propane Tanks *Gasoline for the electric generator *Candles & Candle Holders *Propane Lanterns *Flashlights *Solar lights *Various Portable Batteries Water Tent City does not have running potable water. (We use a pump to supply underground water for the shower, but it is not safe to drink.) *Donations of Bottled Water and 1+ Gallon Jugs are always greatly appreciated! Food Nobody is ever starving at Tent City! That said, it would be great for our residents' long-term health if we could have more variety in the typical Tent City diet (which is mostly based on not-exactly-fresh bread and other bakery products, grains, and high-sodium canned foods like beans). Food items that are always in great demand include: *'Protein' - any kind of meat, fish (including canned), eggs, veggie burgers *'Milk', soy milk, powdered milk, coffee creamer *Fruits and Vegetables, including potatoes *Coffee (coffee maker and instant), tea, sugar *Vitamin Supplements *And, for our Animal Friends: cat / dog food, chicken feed We mostly use propane grills for cooking. We also have a propane stove / oven and microwaves (rarely used due to limited availability of electricity). We do have a refrigerator / freezer for perishable items. Other Supplies *'Paper Towels', paper plates and bowls, plastic forks and spoons. *Yard / Garbage Bags ("Heavy Duty", if possible) *Cold & Flu Medicine (to be distributed responsibly) *First Aid kits Gift Cards We gladly accept donated gift cards to local stores, including: Walmart, Costco, ShopRite, Home Depot, and Lowe's. Category:HowToHelp Menu